As a photographer, depth of field is one of the most creative tools available to you.
Nikon D300, Nikon 200-400 @ 280mm, 1/640, f/5.6, ISO 200
The above image of two white rhino shows how depth of field can be used to tell a story and imply depth, one of the most difficult things to achieve, in a wildlife photograph. After focusing on the rhino on the right I chose an aperture of f/5.6 which would blur the background enough to keep the focus on the front rhino yet still render the rhino at the back as a distinguishable form. The depth of field in an image gets determined by four things:
1. Your focal length.
2. Your aperture.
3. The distance from you to the subject.
4. The distance form the subject to the background.
The effects of depth of field does not always have to be in your face and obvious like in the above image. Even a very small depth of field can make a huge difference in your images like in the following example.
The focus is on the rhino’s face is sharp and the shallow depth of field starts blurring the rhino’s body. This not only creates a slight feeling of depth but also helps to focus your viewer’s gaze even more on the intended part of your photograph.
Depth of Field. Play with it. Learn it. Use it.
Bye 4 now!
Gerry van der Walt
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Appreciated!